Leonardo DiCaprio ascended Hollywood's firmament long ago. He finally got his first Oscars statue in 2016 for the kind of scenery– and bear meat-chewing turn in The Revenant that the Academy expects of its leading men. And he's perhaps the most locked-in second place in Oscars history for his portrayal of washed-up cowboy Rick Dalton in Tarantino's multi-nominated Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (shockingly, it turns out that the town loves to reward cinematic lover letters to itself).
DiCaprio is a Hollywood heavyweight who looks like a Hollywood heavyweight, straight from the Carey Grant school of A-list cheekbones, A-list tuxedos and even an A-list haircut, which was on full display this evening as the Best Actor nominee took to the red carpet.
It's been the same for years. That's because it's worked for years. And because it's basically the same haircut that proper leading men have been wearing for more than a century, which means odds are it will work for you too. Well, providing you've got the right stuff to work with. "DiCaprio's slicked-back look is best-suited to mid-length fine to medium hair," says Maxwell Oakley, barber at Ruffians Shoreditch. "It's an ideal shape if you're growing out your hair, as the heavy use of products ensures control at a time of transition."
There are multiple benefits on offers, here. First: men with the ability to grow their hair are doing so in their droves. But for those with an aversion to Timothée Chalamet's untamed Jacobean curls, DiCaprio's version is neater. Plus, the slicker-than-your-average finish makes it more grown up than the loose curls of elfin child-men.
"Ask your barber for a classic gentleman scissor cut, slightly shorter around the ears and nape for contouring," says Oakley. "If your hair is very straight, ask for the ends to be point cut so the lines look less rigid."
Then, for that quintessential E! channel shine, apply a generous amount of cream. "Make sure you get an even distribution, so you can control all the hair," says Oakley. "Line up your parting above the outside corner of whichever brow you place it usually, and, using a wide-toothed comb, pull it back and away from the parting."
That pulling away will push you closer to the A-list world that exists behind the velvet rope, where men like Leo sip their champagne away from the rest of us. You might need an Oscar to get full admission. But, with the right sort of crown, at least you're on the ladder (and one Native American dad-and-lad saga away from full membership).
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